Species PlantsCreeping Barberry

Creeping Barberry

Mahonia repens

CommonPlant
Illustration of Creeping Barberry (Mahonia repens)

Creeping Barberry is a low, mat-forming evergreen groundcover of dry coniferous forests and shrublands in western North America. Its yellow flowers appear in spring, and the blue-purple berries ripen in summer, providing important food for black bears, coyotes, and many bird species. It spreads by underground rhizomes to form dense colonies.

Habitat
Dry coniferous forests and open shrublands from the Rockies to the Pacific
Diet
Berries eaten by black bears, coyotes, and many songbirds
How common
Common

Best time to see a Creeping Barberry

The best time to see a Creeping Barberry is April–July, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 19,223 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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